Messi has already determined his future and will play for the Miami International in Major League Presses (MLS). It was his third club after Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain and the last stop of his career. Messi has a special contract with Internacional Miami, with the option to renew it every year. He earns up to €50 million a year and has shares in the club and sponsorship contracts for brands such as Apple and Adidas. Messi's choice of Internacional Miami may have been influenced by factors such as family, environment, and the 2026 US-Canada-Mexico World Cup.
The arrival of Messi is a huge improvement for the MLS and a provocation to European football. Messi played for European clubs for 19 years and created many brilliant achievements and accolades. His departure may mean that he could return to Barca or play in the World Cup in the future.
Miami International is a newly established team that joined MLS in 2020. Due to the impact of the pandemic, the development of the team has been greatly hindered, both on and off the field. The team currently sits bottom in the MLS East, winning just five of its 16 games. The team sacked head coach Phil Neville last week and is now close to appointing Argentine Gerardo Martino as its new manager. Martino has worked with Messi at Barca and Argentina.
Messi will meet some new team-mates at Internacional Miami, who are:
Joseph Martínez: The Colombian striker transferred from Atlanta United and is the fastest player in MLS history to score 100 goals.
Nicolas Stefanelli: The Argentine player moved from Swedish side AIK FC, with whom he won the Swedish league title.
Leonardo Campana: The 22-year-old American striker has a permanent transfer from Wolves and once won the Gold Cup with the United States.
Colantin Jean: The 27-year-old French striker moved from Lens for the first time outside of France.
Robbie Robinson: The American striker has been with Internacional Miami since 2020 and was one of the earliest members of the team.
Jack Lacava: The American striker joined Internacional Miami in November 2022 and is one of the team's new signings.
Federico Pizarro: The Mexican midfielder is one of Messi's closest team-mates on the pitch, having won the Gold Cup with Mexico in 2019.